In Python:
class Person(SQLObject):
	firstName = StringCol()
	middleInitial = StringCol(length=1, default=None)
	lastName = StringCol()
	
In mysql:
CREATE TABLE person (
    id INT PRIMARY KEY AUTO_INCREMENT,
    first_name TEXT,
    middle_initial CHAR(1),
    last_name TEXT
);

In Python:
p = Person(firstName='Bob', lastName='Hope')

In mysql:
INSERT INTO person (last_name, middle_initial, first_name) VALUES ('Hope', NULL, 'Bob')
SELECT first_name, middle_initial, last_name FROM person WHERE id = 2